Stellantis on Monday announced a $2.8 billion investment aimed at overhauling its Canadian vehicle plants to ready them for electrification.
As part of a wider strategy known as Dare Forward 2030, which will see Stellantis invest more than $35 billion globally though 2025 on electrification and software, the investment announced Monday will specifically target upgrades at vehicle plants in Windsor and Brampton.
The Windsor plant currently builds Chrysler minivans while the Brampton plant is responsible for the Chrysler 300 and related Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars. The upgrade of both plants is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
The start of upgrades at the Windsor plant will be in 2023, and at the Brampton plant in 2024. This ties in with Dodge's confirmation last year that the Challenger and Charger will be available through 2023, at least in their current form. You can count on Dodge offering successors to its top-selling muscle duo, though whether they will be offered with plug-in hybrid or pure electric power, or both, remains to be seen. Sadly, a V-8 isn't expected to be on the menu.
Stellantis didn't state what vehicles will be built at the upgraded plants, apart from the Windsor plant introducing a “flexible multi-energy vehicle architecture” in addition to the current vehicles built there, and the Brampton plant introducing a “flexible architecture” and building at least one electric vehicle. It's possible the EV is the new battery-powered muscle car that Dodge will preview in concept form this year and launch in 2024, though production at the upgraded Brampton plant will only start in 2025, Stellantis said.
The latest investment announcement will bring Stellantis' commitment to electrification in Canada to $6.7 billion, including the spend on a battery plant to be established with LG Energy Solution in Windsor in 2024, and the addition of a new battery lab at Stellantis' existing R&D center in Windsor.
Stellantis is in the midst of a major EV push centered on four modular platforms. Among the many new EVs promised so far include the aforementioned Dodge muscle car, as well as an electric Ram 1500, and a lineup of electric Jeep SUVs starting with a subcompact due in 2023. The automaker hopes to take most of its brands down the full-electric route by the end of the decade, including Maserati, Chrysler, and Alfa Romeo.
